Strap fastener



Patented Nov. 20, 1945 STRAP FASTENER William George Vasey, New Westminster,

British Columbia, Canada Application February 21, 1944, Serial No. 523,205

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in strap fasteners which are particularly adapted for securing wrist watches in place.

In wrist strap fastening means many devices are used to tension the strap to a snug t, but these have the disadvantage that the tension is continuous and in consequence the binding of the strap upon the wrist is apt to cause discomfort. It is with the object of overcoming this defect that the present invention is devised. Further objects of the invention are to provide means whereby the tension of the strap is adjusted with consummate ease and secured against tightening movement in response to the releasing of the fastening means.

The invention consists essentially of a casing enclosing an elastic media to which the inner ends of a strap are secured and means for engaging said strap adjacent its ends for preventing its continued movement into the casing, as will be more fully described in the following specicaticn and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 3.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view showing a folding writing tablet attached to the casing.

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figura The numeral I indicates generally a casing having an inner wall 2, an outer wall 3, side walls 4 and end walls 5. 'I'he inner wall 2 extends beyond the end walls to form lips 1, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. The end walls 5 terminate short of the lip 1 to deiine entrance slots 8 and 8A for the inner ends of a wrist strap 9 and 9A.

Secured to the inner ends of the wrist strap S are short lengths of elastic Il and IIA or other suitable material, which are anchored to posts I2 and 12A located within the casing. The length of each piece of elastic exnds substantially from its post I2 or to a roller I4 which is mounted be tween the side walls 4. The strap portions extend from their elastic connections II and IIA through the entrance slots 8 and 8A to the watch, not shown or whatever device the strap is designed to secure to the wrist. In order to bring both inner portions of the strap into substantially similar planes at the point of entry into the casing I, one of said entrances is provided with a pair of arcuate guides IB to clear the inner portion wall 4 of the casing l, as shown in Figure 1. The.

lower edge 2| of said pawl is adapted normally to contact the strap upon the lip 1 and to be swung into gripping engagement with said strap when the pawl is given free movement. The outer portion 22 of each pawl forms a release adapted to be engaged by the nger to move the lower edge 2| out of gripping contact with the strap.

Connected to the casing I are naps 24 and 25, these flaps extend from hinges 26 and 21 respectively secured on opposite sides of the casing and are so formed as to cause said naps to rest in overlapping relation as shown in Figure 3. One side of each of the flaps and the outer face of the outer wall 3 are covered with a suitable substance so as to form a writing tablet.

The operation of the strap fastener is as follows:

To remove the strap from the wrist the fastener is grasped in any manner and pulled away from the wrist until sufficient length of strap has been withdrawn from the casing. When the pulling strain is stopped and the strap ends start to return through the entrance slots 8, the pawls I8 immediately grip the strap portions between their lower edges 2l and the lips 1 and prevent further shortening movement. With an appropriate length of strap exposed thestrap can be removed.

To adjust the strap it is simply necessary to place it upon the wrist and grip the pawls I8 and the casing, applying some pressure to the outer portions 22 to rock said pawls out of gripping engagement with the strap 9. The elastics Il and I IA draw the straps inwardly into the casing simultaneously with the casing being moved closer to the wrist. As soon as the casing is close enough to the wrist to provide appropriate strap freedom or slack, the finger pressure upon the outer portions 22 of the pawls is released, enabling the slight inward movement of the strap in response to elastic pull to grip the strap and maintain the exposed length as set.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A wrist strap fastener comprising a casing having enclosing walls and an entrance opening for a wrist strap through one of said walls, an anchorage within the casing, an elastic media secured at one end to the anchorage and adapted for connection to the inner end of said wrist strap whereby said strap is drawn inwardly into the casing in response to contraction of the elastic media, a rockngly mounted paw] carried by the casing and adapted to cover a portion of the entrance opening, `=said pawl being adapted to normally close upon the strap to prevent its retraction, said pawl having a member extending outwardly from said casing to facilitate the rocking of said pawl by nger pressure towards the centre of said casing to release the engagement of the pawl with the strap.

2. The combination with a two portion Wrist strap having outer ends, a casing having an entrance slot at each end through which the ends of a wrist strap are adapted to extendpelastic media Within the casing attached to the inner end of each strap to retract the two portions of said strap, a pawl rockingly mounted adjacent each entrance slot, each of said pawls being adapted to engage a portion of the strap at its point of entry into said slots and to grip said strap portion, each of said pawls having a mem- Y ber projecting outwardly beyond the end of the casing whereby pressure directed towards the cen'- tre of the casing and applied to the projecting memners of said pawls will release said pawls from engagement with their strap portions.

W. GEORGE VASEY. 

